San Francisco International Aiport
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Overview
As part of an ongoing initiative to promote green technologies throughout the City
of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, together with the
San Francisco Airport, recently completed the installation of a large solar power
system at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). To aid in maintaining the
system, they wanted a way to monitor and display system performance.
Challenge
SFO, one of the world’s 30 busiest airports, and the second largest in the state of
California, is a beehive of activity that demands a lot of energy to keep operating.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and SFO were interested in
projects that would help reduce the sprawling facility’s energy needs and promote
environmental consciousness.
“Web access also allows Bass Electric to proactively monitor system performance from our headquarters.”
Adam Larner — Bass Electric
Solution
In 2001, SFO sponsored a pilot project, installing a 20kW solar array. “That
installation proved that solar power was feasible at the Airport,” says Adam Larner,
director of energy services for Bass Electric, which was awarded the contract for
the much larger 445kW system in 2007. Mounted atop Terminal 3 at the airport, the
2832 SunTech 175 watt panels align with the gentle curve of the building. Panels are
affixed to the roof with a SunLink mounting system. Power from the panels feeds
into four 225kW SatCon inverters, allowing for future expansion of up to 100 percent.
As an electrical systems integrator, Bass not only installed the solar components,
they also installed new switch gear, which allows the Airport to isolate the system
for any reason. Bass will also continue to monitor and maintain the system. A key
component of that monitoring is delivered by Fat Spaniel Technologies.
Fat Spaniel provides the monitoring services, which enables remote monitoring of
the system over the Internet from any Web browser. This allows the San Francisco
Public Utilities Commission to view real-time system statistics from its offices in
downtown San Francisco—20 miles from the airport. The Commission is able to see
how much electricity is being generated at present, or over a day, week, or month.
“Web access also allows Bass Electric to proactively monitor system performance
from our headquarters,” says Larner.
Results
The grid-tied system offsets approximately 15 percent of the Terminal’s peak
daytime power requirements, generating up to 628,000kW per year. Over its 30-year
life, the system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7200 tons. Unlike
many public infrastructure projects that are completed and soon forgotten, the
monitoring capabilities of Fat Spaniel will help sustain awareness and continue to
promote green initiatives.
